Over winter break, I went through a virtual final interview round with a company based in Charlottesville, where UVA is located, to be a product analyst. I knew from there that the position and company were the perfect fit for me, and they must’ve thought similarly because I received the job offer soon after. And after conversations with my family and friends, I was happy to accept the offer.
Now I’m halfway into the final semester of my senior year, trying to make senioritis not hit me too hard, especially with the job lined up. Even though I originally aspired to be in a big city on the East Coast like DC, Pittsburgh, or NYC after college, I’m excited to be heading to a smaller city instead.
One of the reasons I’m excited to move to Charlottesville is its direct access to nature. The Shenandoah Mountains are right around the corner and offer many possible outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and camping. Something I hope to do this next winter is hit the slopes not just once, but several times.
In addition, there’s something unique about being in a college town, even as a non-college student, which is the proximity to learning facilities, research conferences, sporting events, and student performances and concerts. These amenities, even if only included for students, would still be worth looking into every now and then.
Furthermore, the downtown scene is something not worth missing out on. There’s a variety of restaurants, venues, and stores that make it a fun day or night out to spend in the city. In addition, the city itself is less expensive than many of the big cities I always wanted to live in. This will make finances, especially as an adult fresh out of college, much less stressful and one less thing to worry about as much with the transition to my new chapter in life.
Also, I’m relieved that there’s an Amtrak that runs through Charlottesville since I probably won’t have a car for some time when I first live there. My future alma mater of Virginia Tech and my hometown in Maryland will each just be over two hours away from Charlottesville. I could easily take the train, a bus, and/or carpool to these destinations. This will make visiting family and friends some weekends much more convenient.
All of this about Charlottesville makes graduating much less scary and more positive for me. Not every place is suited for everyone, but I know that this city will serve me well and allow me to thrive as a young professional.